The Village of Clyde is in reasonably good shape, according to a report issued by the Viability Review Team last week.
The Initial Findings Report is the result of five meetings over the course of nearly a year to examine whether the village is viable and will continue to be viable. The results will be discussed at an Oct. 23 open house in the village.
From a list of 10 key measures of sustainability, the report found the village only had one negative result: nearly a quarter of Clyde’s current property tax is reported as unpaid.
On every other measure there was a positive result: the village is not running a deficit, has no debt to speak of, has filed accurate and complete financial statements in a timely manner, it is not too reliant on grant funding, assessment has increased and population is increasing.
Clyde resident Ann Wegernoski circulated a petition in spring 2012 asking the province to look into the possible dissolution of the village, prompting the creation of the Viability Review Team and, ultimately, the report.
Mayor Doug Nyal, a member of the Viability Review Team, said the initial findings come as no surprise to him, citing the work council and administration have done over the past several years.
“My opinion on the report is I read it from cover to cover a couple times, and I’m not surprised with the report,” he said. “That’s pretty much where I would have had us sitting in the village: not in any way are we non-viable.”
The one measure that could be seen to indicate a trend toward non-viability, unpaid property taxes, could be attributed to other factors than the actions of council or administration.
“That’s maybe a sign of the times. There’s not much control we have over that except to keep sending out the notices,” Nyal said, adding the village works with ratepayers to get them on payment plans and get the outstanding amounts paid.
He noted there are some indications in the report of areas where the village could improve — specifically with respect to the mill rate. In a comparison to municipalities of a comparable size, Clyde has one of the highest mill rates but the lowest overall taxation revenue.
“We’re at the bottom of the list, and looking at that it’s always been a concern of mine and the rest of council,” he said. “Administration is trying to diversify our tax situation and get some more commercial revenue into the village.”
Nyal noted many of the other communities on that list can rely on oilfield industries that have existed for many years in those areas, which is something Clyde lacks. He said he encourages residents to attend the Oct. 23 public meeting to provide additional feedback.
“Hopefully out of that public hearing, lots of residents will be speaking, getting information and giving more feedback into what they’d like to see changed or improved on an so forth,” he said. “That helps council and administration to set our fiscal plan and the direction we’re going to try to go.”
The meeting goes Thursday, Oct. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m., while the report can be viewed online at www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/1330.cfm.
